ChicagoTribune.com: Vande Velde the class of the field
Author: admin8 Aug
Chicago Tribune columnist Philip Hersh writes about his recent interview with Christian Vande Velde as one that was unlike any other he had ever had with an athlete in his almost 40 years of work as a sports writer.
From the article: “Vande Velde was very upset with a column about doping I had written during the Tour de France, in which I said that his performance also was raising questions because it was a significant improvement over his previous results in the race. Most athletes feeling that way would have chosen never to talk again to the author of such a story. But Vande Velde was far more gracious and open-minded than that.”
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5 Responses for "ChicagoTribune.com: Vande Velde the class of the field"
“Class” and “Garmin-Chipotle” is a redundant statement.
I’ve never see synergy before like I see on this team. It’s the whole enchilada… or burrito, I guess I should say.
No surprise that VDV was pissed about the Tribune article. Hersh was writing about doping in that article and it appears he decided to throw VDV’s name in there simply to cast aspersions on his unexpectedly good showing. As far as his disparaging comparison of Saunier Duval’s supposed anti-doping stance vs. Garmin’s proactive testing, well, it’s one thing to talk the talk (SD), another to walk the walk (GC). If Saunier had been doing the kind of testing that Garmin was, Ricco would never have made it to the Giro, let alone the Tour. And it’s not like VDV was rocketing up the Pyrenees hot on the heels of Ricco/Piepoli, so to conflate their respective performances is quite an insult. How very generous of Hersh to now give respect to VDV for having the huevos to stand up for himself and his team and address that insult.
It makes me wonder why people who watch baseball still love it after the Mitchell Report (me), still watch basketball after the whole Dougnahy scandal (me), but completely gave up on cycling forever more, even though most likely never watching it, after Operation Puerto. My two ideas for likely causes are what I call ‘euro-sport-phobia,’ like soccer, rugby, and cricket, or that it takes a more informed person to watch cycling than to throw down a cold one and watch a major American sport.
Very astute response Christian. Bravo
they must appreciate what vdv doing in tour de france…he’s the only american cyclist that got in the top ten..after my idol retires..lance..hehehehe!!!bravo!!vdv!!!
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